Responses will be taken until Sept. 4
By Ann McCreary
The comment period has been extended until Sept. 4 on a U.S. Army proposal to train helicopter pilots in landing techniques at high elevations in the North Cascades mountains.
The Army had initially established a deadline of July 30 to accept comments for the scoping phase of the proposal, during which the public can provide input on what issues and topics should be addressed in an analysis of the environmental impacts of the proposal. The comment period opened July 1.
The Army confirmed Tuesday (Aug. 4) that the scoping comment period would be extended to provide more time for the public to respond.
“We have a new window starting Aug. 6 through Sept. 4,” said Gary Dangerfield, external communications chief for Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), which is proposing the new training area that includes mountains near the Methow Valley.
The decision to extend the comment period is based on the Army’s desire “for transparency on our part,” Dangerfield said. “We want to work with the community. We’re not trying to close off the circle and act as if we can do this alone.”
Dangerfield said he has not seen comments submitted to date, “but I wouldn’t doubt if some comments were asking about an extension period.”
Washington Sen. Patty Murray’s office has been in touch with Army staff at JBLM, encouraging them to extend the comment period, said Kerry Arndt, a spokesperson for Murray.
“Senator Murray believes it’s important for constituents to have the chance to comment on this proposal and worked with JBLM leadership to provide an additional opportunity,” Arndt said.
The Army is proposing training at six landing sites in the North Cascades to provide experience to helicopter pilots in landing on pinnacles and ridgelines ranging from 5,753 to 7,958 feet in elevation.
The proposal indicates one site would be near the Pacific Crest Trail and the headwaters of the Methow River, one near Martin Mountain and Cooney Lake (above Gold Creek), and one near Tiffany Mountain. Other landing sites are near Lake Chelan, Entiat, and on the boundary of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
While the Army proposal provides maps of the proposed sites, they are difficult to interpret. The Army proposes access to the sites 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, with the exception of federal holidays.
Citizen concerns
The proposal has raised alarm among citizens who have expressed concerns about the impacts of the training missions on fragile alpine environments, wilderness areas, wildlife, and recreation.
Area residents are also concerned about the potential noise of Black Hawk, Apache and Chinook helicopters flying at lower elevations to and from the training sites. The Army said that pilots would avoid flying over populated areas.
In order to conduct the training on national forest lands, the Army will need a special-use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. JBLM submitted an initial application last month to the Forest Service, which will conduct a National Environmental Policy Act review to analyze potential impacts of the proposal.
In comments prepared for the initial scoping period, Methow Valley Citizens Council and the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics asserted that Congressional provisions do not allow military helicopter training on Forest Service lands.
The Army is collecting scoping comments in order to prepare an environmental analysis of its helicopter pilot training proposal. Some commenters have asserted that the Army should be required to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement, which is a more in-depth study than an environmental analysis.
The Army is proposing the new training areas to save on travel costs to other training sites in Colorado and Texas from JBLM near Tacoma, and to simulate the flying conditions encountered in the mountainous areas of Afghanistan.
To read the scoping document describing the proposal or to submit a comment, visit www.lewis-mcchord.army.mil/publicworks/sites/envir/eia_HTA.aspx or call JBLM at (253) 967-1110.
